The present invention relates generally to cleaning mechanisms for a combination bathtub and shower stall, and more particularly to a system that automatically cleans a combination bath tub and a shower stall.
Bath tubs and showers in motels, hospitals and some gymnasiums must be cleaned on a daily basis for health and sanitation standards. The inner surfaces of bath tubs and showers collect or become spotted and stained with soap residue and dirt. Cleaning is typically done by hand with a sponge and a cleaning solution. The cleaning process is typically very labor intensive and therefore expensive. The cleaning solution must be put on the surface to be cleaned and the surface rubbed and then the surface must be rinsed. Many hospitals and hotels and even individual residents would like to forego this task for something that is easier, cheaper and takes less time than the traditional hand scrubbing method.
As a result of the increasing cost of manual labor and the undesirability of performing such tasks, attempts have been made to improve the cleaning operation of these bathtubs and shower enclosures. In particular, the prior art has addressed the problem of the daily cleaning of public and private bath and shower facilities. Such attempts have included the design of cleaning machines and complicated cleaning systems suspended from the ceiling. A number of stationary or in situ devices have been devised for spray-cleaning the inside wall surfaces of rest rooms. Representative U.S. patents showing spray-cleaning apparatus in rest rooms are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,381,312; 3,713,716; 3,742,520; and 3,837,011. A water distribution system for showers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,690. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,341, issued May 17, 1983, a spring loaded series of spray nozzles were used to spray the sides of the bathtub. However, the device, with the numerous elements, was difficult to manufacture and was also inconvenient to use, since it required that cleaning detergent be added prior to each use.